Toy Safety

Most toys carry safety labels, but it's still impertant to aware of hazards when shopping children's gifts. Toys can pose different risks depending on the age of the child, according to the National Association of state Public Interest Research Groups. Here are a few noteworthy points:

Small parts and cords pose choking and strangulation risks for young childern.

Make sure the sound level of toys and audio products doesn't exceed 85 decibels; higher
levels can cause loss of hearing

Consider how kids might actually use a toy. If it shoots or launches an object, determine if children could substitute items such as pencils or nails, which would make the toy hazardous.

Check girls' cosmetics sets for hazerdous chemicals such as propane (found in glitter hairsprays) and xylene or dibutlyl phthalate (common in nail polosh).

Supervise kids if they use polymer clays to make crafts and jewlery. If inhailed or ingested, the clays can expose kids to harmful chemicals.

Stop Catalogs in Mailbox

Holiday season is coming and with that comes lots and lots of catalogs to your mailbox. Want some relief from the more than 18 billion catalogs that overload U.S. mailboxes each year? Here are some tips for what to do:

The best way isn't to call the companies; you're better off sending a request by mail. Web sites like Junkbusters.com provide template letters for free that you can print out and sign.

The Abacus Alliance, a database used by mail-order catalogs, will remove you from it's listings upon request (abacusalliance.com). The Direct Marketing Association, too, will add your name to a "delete" list for direct marketers (free by mail; $5 online at dmaconsumers.org).

As last option you may pay the pros to do this job for yopu. For $20, StoptheJunkMail.com lets pick which catalogs you want to keep receiving; it then contacts the others repeatedly until you're removed from their lists. for good.

Pet's Health Insurance

Do you know that veterinary care is an 18 billion dollar (per year)
industry catering to more than 71 million U.S. households who have
a cat or dog? As more and more prescriptions for pets are being written,
the related business of pet health insurance is growing fast.

Pet policies are similar to our own health insurance with all familiar terms
and phrases like annual premiums, deductibles prevalent in the trade.
Depending on the company, you can get plans for different species of
varying ages and lifestyles i.e., animals kept indoors vs. outdoors. Some
also allow for pre-existing conditions.

Policies can cover annual checkups, vaccinations, routine office visits,
preventive medications (such as for heartworm), spay/neuter surgeries,
treatments for accidents or illness, diagnostic tests, lab fees and flea
control. Most policies cost $7 to $10 a month per animal. Some offer
discounted rates if you insure multiple animals.

The American Veterinary Medical Association endorses the idea of pet
health insurance and recommends looking for a company that allows
you to choose your veterinarian, can offer referrals and is supported by
professional organizations, individual veterinarians and other groups and
individuals concerned with animal welfare. For more information, speak
with your veterinarian. He or she should be able to tell you what options
are available in your state, and offer information on discount programs.

You may visit the websites of following pages to get price quotes for
policies PetInsurance, PetsHealthPlan, PetCareInsurance.

Plan Home Improvements

Thinking of making some home improvements but not finding time?
Whether you need a new kitchen, an outside deck or even new windows,
there are some easy and quick steps that will help you determine the best
way to finance your additions.

Step1: Add Up Your Project
From blueprint to finish carpentry, use a checklist to estimate your total
project cost. If you work with a contractor, get a comprehensive bid.

Step2: Make a Budget
Set aside any extra cash that you have for your project. Be sure to include
a surplus, or make sure you have a ready access to savings (like CD or
money market) in case your project goes over budget. If you don't have
cash, explore all options for financing before you decide you can't afford it.

Step3: Getting The Money
Explore all financing options and select the one best-suited for you.
(i) Consider cash-out option by refinancing your existing mortgage and
taking all or part of your current equity in cash. Consider this option only
if you plan to live in your home long enough to make refinancing
cost-effective.
(ii) Second Mortgages or home equity loans are most appropriate for
projects requiring a lump sum payment.
(iii) Home equity lines of credit are most appropriate for short-term
projects or projects requiring incremental payments.

Always consider financing large projects versus paying cash. It may be
more profitable to invest your cash, and refinance or take out a 2nd
mortgage. If you pay cash, always pay in agreed-upon increments.

Car Buying Tips

For buying a new car, here are some advices for you:

Step 1: Determine Your Budget and What you Want: We had several
postings on our site about rankings of 2005 cars determined by
JD Power's Survey, AAA's survey of cars and trucks and AAA's survey for
best family cars, Posting about Hybrid cars like Toyota Prius. This might
help you to know if your choice tallies with that of experts.

Step 2: Get your credit report AnnualCreditReportand verify that your
credit score is above 675. Otherwise be prepared for a higher APR if you
are buying it on loan.

Step 3: Internet Research: Get free car Price Quotes and car dealer
invoice prices from these car buying services:
Edmunds.com, Cars.com InvoiceDealers CarsDirect Autoweb, AutoUSA.
It takes only a few minutes to fill out these forms and more sites you use,
more idea you gather about the price range and the lowest available price.

Step 4: Step into a dealership. In order to receive an accurate picture of
the dealer's offer, request a quote for the out-the-door cash price
excluding rebates, incentives or trade-in's and including all dealer-added
fees. Even if you are interested in trading in your old car and determined
to buy it on loan, tell the dealer that you will purchase paying cash and
you will be selling your existing car on your own. This allows you to have
a clearer picture for the price of the car itself setting aside your trade-in
or financing. Later you may start talking about those two factors as parts
of your negotiation but doing this will help you to know where exactly you
stand in terms of the price of the car and lets you to compare with the
quotes you got from internet in Step 3.

Other useful sites for financing and warranties:
o You may get low APR car Loan Approval online (and you may do this
even before buying a car) from these sites:
Capital One Auto Finance, E-Loan, AutoCreditFinders
o You may get extended warranty (sometimes you may get it even 50%
cheaper than what you get from dealers) from these sites:
1SourceAutoWarranty Warranty Direct.

Stop Illegal Credit ...

It's always a good idea (before your identity is theft and you find yourself
in trouble without committing any sin) to block any illegal application to
credit cards by someone out there using your name. You can instruct the
credit bureaus to make it mandatory for credit cards to verify any such
application by calling you at your residential number.

You can do this by going online to websites of all 3 bureaus or just by
calling them (through automatic service).
REMEMBER: To instruct the bureaus again if you move from your old
place and get a new telephone number. Otherwise, your own legitimate
applications will be unnecessarily delayed...

Here are contact information for three Credit Bureaus:

Equifax Equifax Credit Information Services, Inc
P.O. Box 740241 Atlanta, GA 30374
To order report: 1-800-685-1111 To report fraud: 1-800-525-6285

Experian National Consumer Assistance Center
PO Box 2002 Allen, TX 75013
To order report: 1-888-397-3742 To report fraud: 1-888-397-3742

Transunion Consumer Disclosure Center
P.O. Box 1000 Chester, PA 19022
To order report: 1-800-888-4213 To report fraud: 1-800-916-8800

Engagement Rings Online!

Proposing her to marry you? You may love her a lot but have you got the
perfect ring ...that ...that...yes..that fits your budget? You may remember
that the average price of a ring could be $5,000 for a mounted, one-carat,
diamond in a platinum setting and, be serious, even if you have 3 or 4
decades before you reach the retirement age, this could be a hefty
investment on your part!

Yes. You can educate yourself much in advance in this regard so that
you'll not only find what your future fiancée would like best, but you
won't stretch your financial capability in doing so. One of the newest ways
of researching and purchasing an engagement ring is to go online. Many
people may not buy a ring without directly looking at it but this is at least
a way to prepare yourself before you step in your local jewelry shop.
It is of advantage to know a little more than that well-known old proverb
'All that glitters is not gold"!

So, here are a few websites for those readers who have marriage in mind:
FindMyJeweler.com specializes in educating first-time buyers and
connecting them to reliable local jewelers.
DiamondHelpers.com investigates and lists the best online diamond
sellers. Two attractive features in their website are PriceFinder and
SizeFinder calculators that can help you to get the most for your buck.
BlueNile.com and UnionDiamond.com sell high quality rings at a much
lower price than those bigger brand name jewelers.

[Note: LiveInUSA does not provide direct links to commercial sites in its
postings to stress the point that we are not thin affiliate of those sites]

Best Firms for Seniors

American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) recently released its
2005 list of the 50 best employers for those over 50. Among the factors
evaluated are: opportunities for employee development, the average age
of the work force and whether the company provides flexible work
arrangements for older employees. Here we republish the Top 10
companies from that list of 50 :

1. Stanley Consultants, Inc. (Muscatine, IA)
2. Scripps Health (San Diego, CA)
3. Bon Secours Richmond Health System (Richmond, VA)
4. Deere & Company (Moline, IL)
5. Cornell University (Ithaca, NY)
6. Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge, MA)
7. First Horizon National Corporation (Memphis, TN)
8. Brevard Public Schools (Viera, FL)
9. Yale-New Haven Hospital (New Haven, CT)
10. Lee Memorial Health System (Fort Myers, FL)

Resources: Legal Matters

For legal matters in general, visit
American Bar Association (321) 988-5000

Halt is an organization for Americans for legal Reform. They offer
information and assistance on a variety of topics.
Their site: HALT, Inc. (202) 437-9600

If you think arbitration might resolve your grievances, visit
American Arbitration Association (212) 484-4000

For assistance with age or sex or racial discrimination claims, visit
Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) (202) 663-4264.

Legal Counsel for the Elderly provides information on a broad range of
legal and healthcare issues and also performs some pro bono work.
Their Tel: (202)434-2120. For related issues, one can also consult
National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (602) 881-4005.

Finally, as we know that death and tax are inevitable destiny of all of
us, U.S. Tax Court could be a helpful site for you, if you have disputes
with IRS on tax matters. Tel: (202) 606-8754.

Oil Change: How Often?

Nowadays most of the automakers specify 5000 or 7500 miles' interval
for oil change. But most of the shops in the business of car repair still
recommend 3000 miles' interval.

It depends on your driving habit if we wish to decide who is right. Even if
your auto-manufacturer recommends longer interval, it could be that
they are actually meaning it for a driving habit that does not involve
wondering around the city with too frequent starts and stops or carrying
excessive loads. Short (like 1-2 miles) intermittent trips in too cold
weather and long (above 25 miles) continuous trips in too hot weather
(say in California desert) or any trip in muddy roads may also go against
such recommendations.

On the other hand, if your driving habit is quite normal most of the days,
it is good to have oil-changing trips at longer intervals. This saves your
money and wait-time and also prevents some significant amount of
pollution to the environment.

Heating Oil

Winter is coming and this is the time to purchase your heating oil. The
National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting
that the 2005-2006 winter will be for warmer-than-normal across much
of the central and western United States but forecasters are predicting
slightly colder temperatures than last season based on heating degree-
days [Heating degree days are calculated by the difference between 65
degrees Fahrenheit and the average of the high and low temperatures
of a particular heating. The calculation indicates household energy
consumption for space-heating].

In a report published last wednesday the Energy Information
Administration (EIA) estimates that heating bills for all fuel types will cost
Americans about 33% more this winter on average, assuming typical
weather. A colder-than-normal winter could lift energy prices nearly 50%.
The report also predicts continued high oil prices in 2006 due to slightly
colder temperatures and the continuing impact of hurricanes Katrina and
Rita on the nation's energy production.

Heating by natural gas: About three-quarters of Americans use
natural gas to heat their homes. The cost to heat by gas may rise by
47.6% in the case of typical weather to $1,096, and by more than two-
thirds to $1,242 in case of colder-than-expected weather. Even a warmer-
than-expected winter will see natural gas heating bills rise 29.8% to $964,
according to forecasts of this report.

Heating by Electricity: According to EIA, households that primarily
heat their homes with electricity can expect to pay about 5% more on
average compared to last year.

Remove SpyWares

You know these problems with your computers -- sluggish performance,
a new home page or search engine for your internet browser, or persistent
modem activity even when you're not sitting at the computer!

The number one reason for computer repair these days is not hardware
but software, in particular, what is known as spyware. Spywares are
uninvited guests to your computer, who just sneak in without your
permission when you visit certain websites or have certain pop-up ads
appear on your desktop, or download free software. The Internet is
littered with spyware. These are tiny applications that live on your hard
drive and either direct you to advertising sites or record your Internet
surfing activities to download even more advertising.

Particularly, you should be beware of computer games sites that your
children visit often. Those sites are regular suppliers of spywares. It is
also a good idea to switch over to Firefox browser which is gaining more
and more popularity and provide advanced security features and can
stop many of the spywares from invading your computer.

Fortunately, a number of applications are available that can diagnose
and quarantine spywares. The one we like best is Spybot Search and
Destroy . It's completely free. Even its periodic file updates come free.
Spybot offers both basic and advanced modes and includes the widest
variety of customization. Other available anti-spyware applications can
be downloaded from these links (some are not free and we must say that
all are almost equally good so better go for the free ones)
Spybot Search and Destroy 1.4
Lavasoft Ad-aware SE
Microsoft AntiSpyware (Test beta version)
Webroot Spy Sweeper 4.0
Norton Internet Security 2005 Antispyware Edition (Test beta version)

Resources: Insurance

Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) is the information arm of the
insurance industry including auto, home, life, health, disability insurance.
The I.I.I. is mainly geared toward consumer queries and each year, it
answers nearly 50,000 questions from consumers.
Their telephone number: (800) 942-4242 or (212) 669-9200.

Here are some insurance quote companies. For lowest rates, call:
INSurance INFormation (800) 472-5800
Insurance Quote Services (800) 972-1104
SelectQuote (800) 343-1985
TermQuote (800) 444-8376

For information about insurance for the terminally ill:
National Viatical Association (800) 741-9465

Loading iPod

Buying an iPod is tempting as well as easy but the hard part comes after
that. Loading your great collection of music one CD at a time can be mind
numbing and a source of your impatience in your busy life. As a solution
a few firms are surfacing to cater to this market. Here are two of those.

LoadPod.com charges $1.49 per CD, or $1.19 per CD for 500 or more; A
local staff in your area will pick up and return your CDs and iPod.

RipDigital.com charges $1.29 each for 100 CDs; That drops to $1 each
after 250 CDs. But you need to ship your CDs to their office in New York.

[NOTE: 'LiveInUSA' usually does not provide active links to commercial
sites in order to stress the point that we are not thin affiliates of them and
provide information and opinion independent of any business interest.]

Service For Appliances

According to a recent report from ConsumerReports (based on a survey
of more than 6,000 readers), mom-and-pop stores do better when it
comes to service, good prices and better selection than most nationwide
chains of home appliances.

The study also revealed that not one of the major retailers that were rated
for large-appliance purchases -- which included Best Buy, Home Depot,
Lowe's and Sears -- had better prices than independent stores. Here are
a few highlights:

Comparison of Costco and Sears: It's a question of service vs. price.
Sears is the only major retailer that matched the independents in product
selection and service for small appliances, and did nearly as well for
buying large appliances. But Sears' prices proved no better than the other
chains overall. Costco was the only store that excelled in price without
compromising quality. But their subpar service and less product selection
offset this advantage.

Comparison of Lowe's and Home Depot: Both turned out to be just
average. Fewer than 50% of Consumer Reports' survey participants felt
sales-people were helpful and knowledgeable about the large appliances
Lowe's sold. Home Depot was average overall and trailed the pack for
selection among large appliances.

Independent stores excelled in customer service, delivery and
set-up of appliances: 75% percent of small-appliance buyers thought
independent store staffers were pleasant, informed, or helpful; 5% or
fewer felt that way about Costco, Target or Wal-Mart workers.
Independents also proved strong on service of large appliances with more
than 80% of buyers very satisfied. Fewer than 60% of large-appliance
buyers were as satisfied with service at nationwide chains, and just over
50% felt that way about Best Buy, which did worst in this area.

More about New Medicare

In our posting of last monday we discussed about the new Medicare plan.
Here are some more highlights of this program:

People must enroll in a plan offered by a private provider that contracts
with the federal government. The insurer will issue a card that
beneficiaries will take to the pharmacy along with their doctor's
prescription. The pharmacist will use the card to determine the type of
coverage the customer has. This dictates out-of-pocket costs.

The standard benefit calls for premiums of about $32 a month and a
deductible of $250. That means paying the first $250 worth of prescriptions
for the year. After the deductible is covered, the customer pays 25% of
the cost until drug spending reaches $2,250. Beneficiaries then must pay
all drug costs until they hit $5,100. At that point, the customer pays 5%
of further charges.

Insurers know that beneficiaries have different needs and are offering
different options. For example, some older people would prefer a more
basic, no-frills plan. This allows providers to offer premiums dramatically
below the $32 monthly national average. Several offer no deductible,
meaning coverage starts with the first prescription purchase of the year.
Many plans fill in portions of the coverage gap between $2,250 and $5,100.

So, take some time to go through the offers and choose a provider
carefully. It's sometimes overwhelming to get into so much of information
to decide what servers best your purpose. So, before you go through the
brochures, write down what are the things you'll look for inside those
bunches of papers. Then it would be easier to concentrate on relevant
portions.

Go Generic!

As retail prescription prices have risen at nearly triple the inflation rate
for most of the past decade, companies have been passing along more of
those costs to their employees. Since 2000, for instance, employee
co-payments for drugs on a health plan's nonpreferred list (usually
expensive brand names) soared 94%.

Alarmingly, many consumers are responding to these increases in ways
that endanger their health. Many avoid going to the doctor, some do not
get prescriptions filled, and some people take less than the recommended
dosage. If their out-of-pocket drug costs continue to go up like this, people
may sharply increase such risky behaviors.

To cut the cost of medication, going for generic drugs must be your first
step and, believe it, it is a safe way if you take care to check one thing or
two. If your doctor prescribes a brand-name drug, always ask if there's a
generic equivalent -- that is, a drug usually known by its chemical name
that is virtually identical to the better-known drug.

Generics retail for 70% less on average than brand names and carry
average co-pays of only $9 vs. $20 for brand names (and nearly $100 for
some top-tier brand names) -- yet you give up nothing in quality.

Generics must meet the same Food and Drug Administration effectiveness
and safety standards as their brand-name counterparts. Half are actually
made by the same company that puts out the brand-name version. A new
crop of generic drugs comes to market every year as the patent protection
on the brand-name version expires. Among the drugs expected to go off
patent in the U.S. either this year or next are commonly prescribed brand
names such as Zocor (cholesterol-lowering) and Zoloft (antidepressant).

Important Travel Insurance

This time, like all other time before, bears uncertainty in all aspects of life.
So, if you are planning a vacation or tour abroad, it is good to have an
insurance that can bring you back home in case of any emergency. In
case of an emergency your regular health care insurance may provide
only the medical cost but they donot bear the cost of bringing you back to
the comfort of your home or hometown.

Even though you go on a vacation with a round-trip ticket, in case of an
emergency, you may not find any seat in the earliest possible flight. This
may sound too panicky but in these days of terrorism or tsunami and
frequent break-outs of things like bird flu you never know what you might
need. "International SOS" is the world's leading evacuation and assistance
company for business and leisure travelers as well as expatriates. It
provides at a reasonable price international medical assistance,
emergency services, healthcare, evacuation and repatriation services.

On Credit Cards ...

Usually credit card issuers are generous to consumers with high credit
scores. If you have high score, you may negotiate with creditors for better
rates. If your credit score is not high enough now to get better rates, you
may continue to pay your bills consistently, bide your time, and ask again
after your credit rating has improved.

Your local Credit unions may often offer charge cards with favorable
terms.To see whether you're eligible to join any credit unions, visit
the Credit Union National Association.

If you have a complaint against a credit-card issuer, you may contact your
state attorney general. Visit the website of National Association of
Attorneys General to locate your state attorney general. You may also
complain to the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC).
Visit OCC's consumer page.

New Medicare Plan

From last Saturday, private
insurers started their effort
to sign up some 42 million
older and disabled people for
the government's new
Medicare prescription drug
benefit. The program starts
in January and is designed
to reduce the out-of-pocket
cost of medications. If you
are a Medicare beneficiary,
in coming weeks you will
probably receive numerous
solicitations from insurers.
Applications can be mailed
back to a company or
completed online. For help enrolling, the government has a toll-free
number, 1-800-Medicare.

You can also research plans offered in your area by going to the Medicare
Prescription Drug Plan Finder at http://www.medicare.gov/ beginning Oct.
13. Representatives at Medicare's 800 phone number as well as workers
at a state health insurance assistance program can help you. The phone
number for each state's program is in the Medicare and Your 2006 handbook.

You need to enrol between Nov. 15 and May 15. If you do not enroll when
you first become eligible, you may have to pay a late-enrollment penalty.
This penalty will be added to your premium each month for the whole time
you are enrolled in Medicare Part D.

If you're making less than $1,197 a month (1,604 for couples), you might
be eligible for a low-income subsidy to help pay for the new Medicare
drug benefit. Caregivers can also apply on behalf of Medicare enrollees.
For Application, go online at www.ssa.gov. 800-772-1213.